Externships

Type of Placements

• Civil Externships
  
• Criminal Placements
  
• Federal and State Judicial Externships
  

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Civil Externships

Following approval of a student's application, (found on the TMSL website), the Civil Externship Program allows rising 3L students and 3L students the opportunity to obtain academic credit for externing with approved law firms, non-profit public interest agencies, public policy agencies, and government agencies. The Civil Externship program is an experiential education course.  

The TMSL Experiential Educational Department defines experiential education as the cornerstone of doctrine and practice.  Experiential Education is an intimately, individual act wherein the student actively engages in, and participates in learning by observing, touching, feeling, or actually doing the skill that is being taught.  This active, personal participation allows the student to live in the learning, see the internal workings of the learning and understand the learning as it unfolds from their uniquely personal perspectives, as opposed to passively receiving knowledge or information about the skill being learned.  In addition to actually living the skill by observing it, touching it, doing it, and exploring it, the student also has a guided reflective experience that encourages the student to consider how the skill works, what makes the skill work more effectively, less effectively, how exercising the skill is best accomplished given their unique perspective and skill set, and what they can add to or take away from the skill for the most effective presentation of the skill to or for the benefit of others. Every new opportunity to exercise the skill will be informed by previous experience, thought and reflection. The repeated opportunity to exercise the skills serves to improve the student’s competence and mastery of the skill.

In addition, the Civil Externship Program allows 3L students to: (a) gain experience in a field where a clinical course is not offered, or (b) pursue advanced work in an area of prior clinical practice. Students, upon completion of an externship application may complete an externship their rising 3-L summer, their 3L fall semester or, and their 3L spring semester.  The student will be required to complete 240 clock hours at their placement, for 4 hours of course credit, and attend and successfully complete a 2-hour course component, (fall and spring semesters only).

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Criminal Externship Placements

1. Dallas County District Attorney’s Office (Felony)
2. Dallas County Public Defender’s Office
3. Fort Bend County District Attorney’s Office
4. Galveston County District Attorney’s Office
5. Harris County District Attorney’s Office
6. Harris County Public Defender’s Office
7. Missouri Coty Attorney’s Office
8. TMSL Criminal Law Clinic
9. Harris County Public Defender’s Office
10. Missouri Coty Attorney’s Office
11. TMSL Criminal Law Clinic
12. TMSL Criminal Law Clinic
13. Hildago County District Attorney’s Office
14. Travis County Juvenile Public Defenders Office

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Judicial Externships

 Following approval of a student's application, (found on the TMSL website),  The Judicial Externship course provides the 3-L student with the opportunity to learn about judges, the judicial decision-making process, and the justice system in general, while working as a judicial clerk in county, state, administrative and federal courts.  This course is intended to be taken in the third year of Law School contemporaneously with a placement at Judicial externship placement, that has been approved in advance. The Judicial Externship program is an experiential education course. 
       The TMSL Experiential Educational Department defines experiential education as the cornerstone of doctrine and practice.  Experiential Education is an intimately, individual act wherein the student actively engages in, and participates in learning by observing, touching, feeling, or actually doing the skill that is being taught.  This active, personal participation allows the student to live in the learning, see the internal workings of the learning and understand the learning as it unfolds from their uniquely personal perspectives, as opposed to passively receiving knowledge or information about the skill being learned.  In addition to actually living the skill by observing it, touching it, doing it, and exploring it, the student also has a guided reflective experience that encourages the student to consider how the skill works, what makes the skill work more effectively, less effectively, how exercising the skill is best accomplished given their unique perspective and skill set, and what they can add to or take away from the skill for the most effective presentation of the skill to or for the benefit of others. Every new opportunity to exercise the skill will be informed by previous experience, thought and reflection. The repeated opportunity to exercise the skills serves to improve the student’s competence and mastery of the skill.

     In addition, the Judicial Externship Program allows 3L students to: (a) gain experience in a field where a clinical course is not offered, or (b) pursue advanced work in an area of prior clinical practice. Students, upon completion of an externship application may complete an externship their rising 3-L summer, their 3L fall semester or, and their 3L spring semester.  The student will be required to complete 240 clock hours at their placement, for 4 hours of course credit, and attend and successfully complete a 2-hour course component, (fall and spring semesters only).

 

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